Broken
by ShadowRebirth37
Summary: C/AU. Before CC. Raven's attempt to tame Shadow fails, and Shadow nearly kills him and drags him out into the desert. With a dangerous feral Organoid guarding the desert, will the search party find him? Chapter 5- Grim Discovery. Please R & R!
1. Forced to Retaliation

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here! I've had this idea floating around for months now, and me writing 'broken' for _**Of Zoids and Organoids**_ made me want to write it again. This will be canon in the sense that Shadow is really brought to Raven and stuff, but AU in that Shadow reacts differently. You know what, just watch episode 49, "The Distant Stars" and see for yourself. _**Broken**_ is only a temporary title, so please help me with names!! This will be a short fic, anywhere from 5 to maybe 8 chapters. Not a major fic like _**The Dark Savior**_, but a short fic written for fun in between chapters of _**The Dark Savior**_.Anyway, I don't know if anyone else reading this thought that Shadow was holding back when he and Raven fought, well I did. In here, however, this is my take on that scene if Shadow _hadn't_ held back. Hehe, bad things are written all over this!!XD Lol. Well, let me know what you guys think of my wild imagination!!XD Without further delay, chapter 1- Forced to Retaliation!! (Ohh… that screams bad things, don't it?XD)

* * *

_**.:Chapter 1- Forced to Retaliation:.**_

Shadow fought against the two soldiers that were pulling on the rope attached to the collar around his neck. They were leading him into a room, and he didn't want to go inside. With a final, sharp tug, they managed to pull the great Organoid off his feet and drag him inside.

With an enraged snarl, Shadow got to his feet and looked around the dimly lit room, snapping at the two soldiers that had now released the rope. They gasped and jumped back, away from the Organoid's dangerous jaws. He glared at them before he turned and looked at the two people that stood in front of him. One was a young boy, no more than twelve years old, and the other a white-haired man.

The boy was staring at him in shock, and Shadow growled a warning to him. His look of shock faded, even as Shadow continued to growl at him. The dark Organoid turned to the man, looking for any hint as to why he had been dragged in here, but couldn't find any.

Shadow snarled in rage, his normal, docile nature overridden by anger. He narrowed his eyes dangerously and threateningly bared his sharp teeth. The human, Raven, as the white-haired man had called him earlier, didn't react or show even the slightest hint of fear. Silence filled the dimly lit room, and that infuriated Shadow even more.

With a loud snarl, he charged and swung his heavy tail at Raven. He ducked, the Organoid's tail just missing his head by inches. Just as Shadow turned to attack again, Raven struck back, tackling the large Organoid to the ground and pinning him down. Now blinded by rage _and_ shock, Shadow snarled and twisted around in a desperate attempt to escape.

Suddenly, Shadow saw an opening. With an enraged snarl, he lunged with mouth open, his jaws snapping shut on Raven's shoulder, causing him to scream in pain. Raven raised his arm to hit him, but Shadow's clawed hand caught his arm in mid-swing. Shadow growled, biting down harder and digging his claws into his arm, causing Raven to cry out. With a simple flick of his head, he threw Raven into the wall behind him as hard as he could. He heard Raven groan as he fell to the floor and lay on his side, obviously in a lot of pain.

Shadow got to his feet and walked over to Raven, staring down at him with a wicked growl. He opened his jaws and prepared to finish him off, but just before he struck, Raven somehow managed to punch Shadow across the nose, which caused the great Organoid to yelp and snap his head back.

This, however, only succeeded in further angering the already furious Organoid. Snarling in rage, Shadow bit into Raven's outstretched arm, and before the human even had a chance to scream, tossed him effortlessly into the wall at his left. Raven hit his head hard on the metal wall and collapsed to the floor on his side, eyes closed and body still. At first Shadow thought he was dead, but a few seconds later he groaned and opened his eyes slightly.

'_He put up a good fight, but now I'm ending this pathetic quarrel…'_

* * *

Raven watched as the Organoid walked up to him and glared down at him, growling loudly. He looked up at the black Organoid as it leaned down, its jaws now dangerously close to his unprotected and already injured arm.

Before he could react, the Organoid struck, biting into his upper arm with an angry snarl, its teeth sinking deep into him. He cried out weakly in pain and tried to pull free, but he only succeeded in further injuring his arm. Gritting his teeth, he struggled against the Organoid's grasp, but it was useless.

'_This isn't helping…'_ Raven thought, stopping his struggling. _'… I'm only making it worse!'_ The Organoid growled, flicking its tail behind it. Raven looked past the Organoid to the two soldiers, who were frozen with shock and fear. One of them snapped out of it and sharply elbowed the other, pointing towards the large Organoid with his rifle. He motioned to the rope hanging loosely from the Organoid's throat with the barrel of his gun, and his partner nodded.

Very slowly, they fanned out, one walking around the Organoid's left, the other its right. The one on the Organoid's left crouched down and tried to reach the rope while the one to its right held his gun at the ready. While all this was going on, Prozen quietly slipped out of the room to go and get more soldiers to secure the Organoid.

The crouched soldier managed to grab the rope, but his movement caught the Organoid's eye. It snarled and released Raven's arm, turning towards the crouched, unarmed soldier. He froze, still clutching the rope tightly with trembling hands. The Organoid stared at the soldier, growling loudly with bloody teeth bared. The other soldier had his gun pointed at the Organoid's throat, ready to pull the trigger at the slightest hint of aggression. With the soldier's gaze focused on his gun-sight, he didn't see the Organoid's tail that was slowly moving towards his leg…

Suddenly, the Organoid's tail wrapped around his ankle, and in a flash pulled it out from under him, causing him to fall to the floor and drop his gun. Just before he dropped the gun, however, his finger slipped and he pulled the trigger. A shot rang out through the room, and was followed by a scream of pain, not from the soldier, not from the Organoid, but from Raven. The bullet had ricocheted off the metal wall and hit him in his lower right leg, leaving a long horizontal gash where it had grazed him.

The Organoid didn't seem to notice his cry of pain, for it was to busy fighting with the two soldiers. The one that had been tripped was unconscious, and the Organoid had knocked the other soldier into the wall, and he too fell unconscious.

Silence filled the room, and the only noise was the Organoid's loud breathing. It stood there, unmoving, staring out the open door, as if it was listening. Suddenly a figure appeared in the doorway, blocking the light. The figure gasped at the scene- a blood-flecked Organoid growling as it stood in the center of the dimly lit room, two unconscious soldiers at its side and feet, and Raven collapsed and bleeding at the base of the far wall.

"Raven! Raven, are you alright?!" the figure shouted to Raven, casting a wary glance at the growling Organoid. Raven looked up the figure, recognizing his voice as Major Karl Schubaltz.

"No…" Raven groaned, coughing up blood.

"What hurts?" Karl shouted, taking a step inside the door, testing the Organoid's reaction.

"Everything…" Raven moaned, closing his eyes. Karl took another step inside, but an irritated growl from the Organoid made him freeze.

"Are the other two alright?" Karl said, loudly enough for him to hear.

"I think they're just unconscious. They're still breathing, so they're still alive." Raven answered, groaning from the effort of talking.

"Hold on, I'm coming to get you…" Major Schubaltz said just loudly enough for Raven to hear. He took another step, but this time the Organoid snarled and snapped at him. Karl jumped back into the doorway, away from its jaws.

"Major, just go get help, you can't get to me without getting killed. Go get help." Raven shouted to him, realizing that he would be unable to reach him with the Organoid standing there. Karl looked at him and nodded, also realizing he was impossible to reach. He turned and disappeared to his left, leaving him and the Organoid alone.

Silence descended on the room, with no noise other than the occupants' breathing. The Organoid turned from the door and looked at him, its eyes narrowing with hatred. It walked over to him and growled lowly, glaring down at him, his own blood dripping from its jaws. Raven looked up at the dark Organoid with pain-filled eyes as it hovered over him, almost as if it was waiting for him to die.

'_Well, it won't have to wait much longer…'_

* * *

Shadow glared down at the suffering human, growling loudly and grinning cruelly. Raven looked up at him, eyes filled with pain. Shadow hardly cared; he just wanted to finish off his wounded prey. Growling loudly, he leaned down with jaws open wide. He snarled loudly, and just as his jaws were going to snap shut on the human's throat, he heard several shouts coming from somewhere outside the doorway. His head snapped up and he glared outside, hearing more shouts.

'_Great… that soldier brought back-up… oh well, I guess I won't be able to finish him off in peace here, so I'll just take him somewhere where I can…'_ Shadow thought with a wicked smirk. He turned back to Raven, who now had lost consciousness. Shadow lifted his head and roared loudly, the panels on his chest opening to reveal the hollow space inside. The countless cords tucked neatly inside shot out in a silver blur, wrapping around Raven's unmoving body and pulling him inside.

The panels closed over Raven, trapping him inside just as the first soldiers ran into the room. Shadow turned around and roared loudly, causing them to stop dead in their tracks. With another loud roar, Shadow spread his blood-colored wings and shot out the door, knocking down several of the soldiers.

A few shots rang out from some of the soldiers, but none of them found their marks. Roaring again in triumph, Shadow flew towards the winding desert hills with his prize tucked away inside himself. And as Shadow's form disappeared over the horizon…

So did Raven's hopes of rescue…

_**.:End of Chapter 1:.**_

* * *

**AN**- Wow… I've turned Shadow from an adorable, lovable Organoid to a bloodthirsty demon. My mind is an enigma.XP Remember, this is based off a dream, so that means it doesn't really tie into the anima, meaning that _certain_ _important_ _characters_ could die. **Hint hint!!** Lol. This fic won't be as major as _**The Dark Savior**_ or my others, think of it as a side project started by a major band. I want your guys' opinions on this one. I like this fic, but I have an important announcement- **all of my fics will be on temporary hold due to vacation starting next week. This is not permanent, and all fics will be resumed as soon as I return home from Yellowstone.** Glad you all know that now. Well, please review!! I want to know how I did!!XD

_**Ibeyla :P**_


	2. A Change of Heart

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Man, I made Shadow really evil, didn't i?XP Lol. Poor Raven. Anyone notice that Raven seems to get hurt a lot in my fics? I guess its just my natural dramatic nature.XP Lol. Again, this will be a short fic, nothin major like _**The Dark Savior**_ or _**Of Zoids and Organoids**_. Think of it like a side project started by a major band, it's just something for them to do when they're not touring. Like me, this is something for me to do when I'm not working on my other fics, and this was based on a crazy vivid dream. Lol. No more falling asleep while watching Zoids after eating four boxes of Gobstoppers!!XP Lol. Think of it as the spiritual sequel to _**Rebirthing**_. I hope you guys like this fic!! I have a natural knack for rewriting scenes so they turn out differently; I guess Power of the Pen taught me stuff after all. Lol. Remember, since this based on a dream, that means _**certain**_ _**important**_ _**characters**_ _**might**_ _**die!**_ **Hint Hint!!** Lol. Okay, I won't keep you any longer. Without further a due, chapter 2- A Change of Heart! (kinda raises your hopes for Raven, don't it? Well, you should know by now not to trust me on these things!!XD Lol.)

* * *

_**.:Chapter 2- A Change of Heart:.**_

Raven slowly started to regain consciousness. He knew he wasn't lying down anymore, and that confused him. _'The last thing I remember is the Organoid standing over me and its jaws over my throat… am I dead?'_ he thought, not having the slightest clue as to where he was. He realized that he was in too much pain to be dead, but he still hadn't the slightest idea where he was. It was very hard to breathe, for there was pressure on his chest and the air was filled with warm moisture. He tried to move, but found he couldn't.

'_What? Why can't I move?'_ Raven thought as he tried unsuccessfully to move his arm, _'It feels like I'm tied up…'_ To him, it really did feel like he was bound, but he couldn't imagine why or by whom. Whatever it was that was wrapped around him was smooth and warm, nothing like the course fibers of rope. The wounds on his shoulder and arm screamed in pain where the mystery bindings touched, and the pain from his shot leg was overwhelming. The bindings were wrapped tight against him, and combined with the saturated air, made it nearly impossible to breathe.

Raven sensed light, and that confused him even further, for the room he had been in had been very dimly lit. He opened his eyes slightly, but instantly shut them, for the light was unbareable. He did manage to catch a glimpse of whatever was wrapped around him. They looked like ropes, but were silver and smooth, with black creases where the different lengths met. They looked like wires or cables, and that just further confused Raven to where he was.

That, and the fact that he was wet. Ever since he had woken up, he had felt something wet and warm drip onto him, and combined with the moisture in the still air, soaked him. It wasn't a cold wetness, like from cold water, because whatever was clinging to him was warm and thicker than water. He didn't like the feeling of it, but he knew it was better than cold water.

The pain from his wounds was making him dizzy, and he knew he was going to pass-out. He tried a last time to get his wounded arm free, but it was useless. He fought to stay conscious, afraid that he would never wake up if he passed-out.

* * *

Shadow scouted the desert hills for a place to land, trying to find a cave. The red desert hills seemed free of any holes or defects, until he saw a dark cave high up on one of the hills. He turned and landed on the ledge that led into the cave, fanning his crimson wings as he retracted them. Snorting at some blowing dust, he looked inside the blackened cave. It was dark, deep, and cool, and had several branching chambers along the entire length.

Grinning at his luck, he looked over his shoulder in the way he had just come, searching for any sign of pursuit from the soldiers. Again, luck was on his side, for he saw no evidence that the soldiers were pursuing him. _'Even if they are pursuing me, by the time they find me it will already be too late…'_ Shadow thought, smirking evilly. He turned towards the cave, lifting his head and straightening his back.

With a loud hiss, the panels on Shadow's chest split slightly, warm steam escaping from the gaps. They opened fully in a haze of moisture and dew, caused by the drastic difference in temperature. The now-wet cables that bound Raven retracted, spilling the seemingly unconscious pilot to the hard ground. He retracted the dripping wires back inside his body and closed the panels. Shadow looked at him, thinking the young human was dead. To his astonishment, Raven groaned and opened his eyes slightly, mere amethyst slits behind his wet coal-black hair.

Shadow glared down at the human, growling loudly as a grim smile crept across his face. He lifted his head and laughed cruelly, raising his arm and extending his claws as he prepared to finish off the suffering human. Raven looked up at him with pain-clouded eyes, his body shaking from shock and the sudden change in temperature. Shadow's evil grin seemed to be smacked from his face, and his taunt claws lowered slightly, upon seeing Raven's pitiful state. Away from the stress of the fight, Shadow's nature took back control of his anger-driven mind, allowing his thoughts to clear.

'_What am I doing?'_ Shadow thought, lowering his claws further. Raven was truly in a sorry state- he was covered in blood, dew and the Organoid's internal fluid, his breathing was hard and irregular, and he was shaking from the sudden temperature drop and shock. Shadow watched as he tried to push himself off the ground, but fail miserably and collapse back to the unforgiving stone.

'_He's as weak and helpless as a newborn hatchling…'_ Shadow thought, cocking his head at the shaking human. Shadow snorted and walked up beside him, looking down at him with his sky-blue eyes. Raven looked up at him, his violet eyes cloudy and barely open.

Shadow cocked his head again and leaned down, growling softly. Raven closed his eyes and tensed, probably thinking he was going to finish him off. Shadow snorted quietly and lightly nudged his arm, licking off some of the clinging fluid. He lifted his head and snorted in disgust, for the fluid was sickly sweet, and Shadow _hated_ anything sweet.

Just as Shadow lowered his head again, he heard a distant crash of thunder behind him. He turned and looked behind him, and sure enough there were dark clouds building on the horizon. _'Great…'_ Shadow thought, looking at the approaching storm clouds through narrowed eyes.

'_I better get him inside before it starts to rain, I don't need him getting sick…'_ Turning back to Raven, he lowered his head and gently closed his jaws on Raven's injured shoulder, careful not to touch the wounds. Raven groaned weakly, but didn't move. Growling softly, he slowly dragged Raven inside the cave, just far enough to keep him out of the approaching rain. As if on cue, lightning split the sky and rain fell from the dark, heavy clouds.

Shadow snorted and released the human's shoulder, which groaned and closed his eyes tighter. He tried to take a deep breath, but started to cough, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Shadow cocked his head, not realizing that the blood dripping from the human's mouth was an indicator of internal injury.

Suddenly, another bolt of lightning lit the air with angry golden light, and thunder shook the very cave as it chased the lightning across the sky. Shadow lifted his head and looked out at the storm, feeling vapor from the rain settle on his black armor, which was now tainted with a fiery shade of crimson. He shook his head, small droplets of water spraying from his reptilian crest.

He looked down at the rocky floor, now slick with a combination of rain, blood, and fluid. Shadow realized the blood was fresh, and he followed the trail that started on the ledge, continued where he had dragged Raven, and ended at his right leg. That's when he saw the long gash on his lower leg, which was still bleeding, his whole lower leg now soaked in blood. _'That must have been from when he screamed while I was fighting the two soldiers… must have been hit by that stray bullet…'_ Shadow thought, cocking his head as he leaned down to get a better look at the wound.

It was covered in dust and the fluid, and it was bleeding badly. Shadow cocked his head, sniffing the shallow gash curiously. Growling, he licked the bloody wound, cleaning it. Raven cringed, groaning as Shadow cleaned it, but he didn't move. As soon as Shadow finished, he lifted his head away and looked back out at the angry sky as it continued to unleash its fury in the form of pounding rain and lightning. As he watched the rain, he noticed that the rain was still falling on Raven, and he worried that he might fall ill and catch his death.

Growling softly, he leaned down to Raven and gently closed his jaws around him, careful not to put to much pressure on him. Snorting, he carefully lifted the badly wounded pilot off of the wet stone and into the air. He groaned weakly, but didn't struggle or squirm as Shadow had expected. Growling, he slowly walked deeper into the cave, so not to cause the young human any more pain. He decided not to carry him all the way back into the chambers, and to just move him farther into the main chamber.

Snorting quietly, Shadow gently laid Raven down onto the dry stone, away from the entrance. He moaned as Shadow opened his jaws and released him, still not opening his eyes. Shadow lifted his head and made a disgusted face, for the fluid that covered Raven was so sweet it made him want to gag. _'I'll never get this taste out of my mouth…'_ Shadow whined mentally as he shook his head, trying to shake the taste from his mouth, but with no such luck.

Realizing that that wasn't working, he stopped and looked down at Raven. He was shaking again, and being wet probably made him colder. Sighing, Shadow laid down behind the shivering human and curled around him, pushing Raven against his armored side with a gentle nudge from his snout. Raven groaned and coughed, whipping the blood he coughed up from his mouth with his gloved hand. Shadow lightly nosed his arm, licking off some of the still-clinging yellow-clear fluid, despite his detest of the horribly sweet taste. He knew it was best to get the fluid off him, even though it wasn't poisonous; he thought it best not to let it stay on his wounds.

'_Humans… if they get too cold, they die… if they get too warm, they die… if they get too sick, they die… it's a wonder they can survive at all…'_

* * *

Raven groaned as he fell to the hard stone, falling from within the Organoid. He figured that out when the Organoid's chest panels opened and the cords retracted, spilling him to the ground. The normally hot desert air felt frigid against his wet body, caused by the strange fluid that clung to him. He knew he was already in shock, and the only reason he hadn't already bled to death was that the cables inside the Organoid had helped to stop the bleeding from his wounds by putting pressure on them. He opened his eyes slightly, blinking as he tried to adjust to the bright desert sun.

The Organoid that stood over him glared down at him and growled, as if it was enjoying his suffering. It reared up and made a noise like it was laughing, before it raised its hand. Raven watched the Organoid extend the dangerously sharp claws on its hand and grin cruelly. He looked up at the dark Organoid, his vision cloudy from pain.

Unbelievably, instead of finishing him off, the Organoid lowered its claws slightly and its evil grin seemed to drop from its face. It just stared at him, with an almost guilty look on its face. Raven tried to get up, but he was too weak and collapsed back onto the ground.

The black Organoid cocked its head and looked at him, almost like it didn't know what to do with him. Its eyes weren't filled with fury and anger anymore; instead, they looked almost curious. Raven looked up at it, not understanding its lack of action. The Organoid cocked its head again, not taking its eyes from him.

Suddenly, the Organoid walked to his side and leaned down, growling. Raven closed his eyes tightly and tensed, expecting to feel the Organoid's teeth tearing at him. The Organoid snorted and pushed on his arm, and Raven felt it lap up some of the sticky fluid that covered his arm. For some reason it lifted its head away and snorted loudly.

Just as Raven heard it lean down again, thunder broke the silence and made the Organoid wheel around. _'Great… not only is this Organoid going to eat me, I'm going to get rained on, too… fantastic…'_ Raven thought sarcastically, hearing the Organoid turn back to him.

The dark Organoid lowered its head and clamped its jaws on his shoulder. Raven groaned weakly, even though the Organoid's teeth barely pained him. The Organoid growled softly, and dragged him off somewhere. It stopped after what felt like only a few feet, but he couldn't really tell. He groaned and shut his eyes tighter as the Organoid released his shoulder.

Raven tried to get air into his abused lungs, but as soon as he took a deep breath pain shot through him and he began to cough. Something dripped out of his mouth, but he was too weak to open his eyes to see whether it was spit or blood. He was really in too much pain at the moment to care.

The Organoid growled at him, and he heard it move away from him. _'What's it doing now?'_ Raven thought, hearing the large Organoid snort and shift. Suddenly, he felt the Organoid's warm tongue on his bullet wound, causing him to cringe and groan in pain. The Organoid stopped, and Raven relaxed slightly. He started shivering, for the cold rain was falling on him.

As if sensing his distress, the Organoid walked back to his side and leaned down. _'Great, what's it doing n-'_ Raven's thoughts were broken by the feeling of the Organoid's jaws closing on him. The Organoid growled and lifted him off of the ground and into the air. Raven groaned, for that was all he could really do. The Organoid who's mouth he was hanging from growled again, and started to walk somewhere.

The Organoid didn't walk far, for after only a minute or two it stopped. It growled quietly and lowered its head, gently laying him down onto dry ground. Raven groaned as the Organoid opened its jaws and released him, his back hurting from the slightly jarring landing. The Organoid lifted its head and snorted about something, but Raven didn't have the slightest clue as to what.

Raven was still cold, and he started shivering again. The Organoid must have seen this, for it snorted and stopped moving. Before Raven knew what it was doing, the Organoid laid down behind him and curled around him. The dark Organoid gently nosed him back against its side with its snout and wrapped its tail around him.

Suddenly, something in his chest tightened, causing him to cough violently and bring his hand up to his mouth. When the fit finally subsided, he opened his eyes slightly and looked down at his hand. His eyes widened when he realized that his glove was covered in blood. _'That's not a good sign…'_ Raven thought, wiping the rest of the blood off of his mouth. The Organoid growled and nosed his wounded arm, licking off some of the sticky yellowish liquid that still clung to him.

'_Why isn't it attacking me anymore?'_ Raven thought, looking at the Organoid strangely, _'Best not question things, its not like I __want__ it attacking me…'_

Unknown to both of them, from a nearby hill, they were being watched…

* * *

**AN**- Lol. This time you coulda trusted me!!XD Lol. So, what did you think? Again, this writing style is sorta like my first fic, _**Rebirthing**_, do you agree? I think of this as the spiritual sequel to _**Rebirthing**_, if y'all know what that means!!XD Lol. Well, please leave me a review, I want to know what you guys think of it so far. This will probably be the last thing I update before my vacation, but I _may_ be able to hurry and type up a drabble tomorrow. But that's a long-shot. Please review!! I want your guys' input!!XD Pray I don't get eaten by bears or fall in a geyser at Yellowstone on vacation next week!!XD Lol. As always, **all flamers will be fed to Orkari and Leiden!! You have been warned.** Non-flamers, don't worry, your fine!!XD Lol. Now please leave me a review!!XD

Oh, and if you haven't already figured this out, the page breaks represent a POV change, like it's changing from Shadow's POV to Raven's POV. Just wanted to make sure you understood that and didn't get confused.XP Lol.

Btw, the idea of the fluid tasting sweet isn't something made-up. Antifreeze, the blue stuff you put in your car, is very sweet but deadly poisonous. So for the internal fluid for Shadow I changed the color to a yellowish-clear, took away the poisonous property, and made it ten times sweeter. Don't believe me? Ask your dad or someone who works on cars, they'll tell you antifreeze is sweet, too.XP

_**Ibeyla :P**_


	3. A Sound of Thunder

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Y'all thought I abandoned this fic, didn't ya? Lol. Nope. I was just busy with _**Fury's Core**_ and the newest chapter of _**The Dark Savior**_. That's right, _**Broken**_is back in a big way, baby!!XP Lol. Ya know… I got to thinking about this fic, and it brought back a memory of another idea for a fic like this. A few months ago, I had a dream about when Shadow was reborn. I dreamed that things went differently, and Shadow wasn't tamed again so quickly. Basically, Raven got ruffed-up a lot more, and didn't get away with just a few broken ribs. I thought that would make a good fic. I have a weird talent for re-write scenes so they have different endings and outcomes and such. It's a gift of sorts. Lol. Well, upon urging from some of my fellow authors, I have decided to post chapter 3. _**Fury's Core**_ can wait. Lol. I hope you guys like the new chapter! This chapter will be different than most, in the fact I am using my more descriptive and darker than my normal writing style. I think it is better than my normal style, but that's just me. Lol. Again, since this was a dream, that means **certain important characters might die!!** I don't like for characters to die, but sometimes it just has to happen, no matter how much you don't want it to. Btw, I'm going to add an OC in this fic, an Organoid, one almost as evil as Ambient. I think I may also introduce my OC, Ibeyla and her Organoid, Obscura, from my old fic, _**The Distant Stars**_. I hope you guys like the twist with the OCs and such. Remember, this was a dream, so things are a little different than in the anime. The beginning italicized part is Ibeyla's dream. Alright, without further a due, chapter 3- A Sound of Thunder! (kinda ominous, ain't it? Lol. And I know it's the name of a movie!!)

* * *

_**.:Chapter 3- A Sound of Thunder:.**_

Ibeyla tossed and turned in her sleep, muttering inaudible Zoidian words as she dreamed…

_Thunder crashed all around, drowning out the cries of pain from a young boy trapped by a large Organoid as it fed, blood running down its coppery muzzle. The boy's violet eyes slowly started to close, and the Organoid roared loudly, enjoying its kill. The Organoid's claws, now a bloody crimson, flexed as it greedily consumed the boy's energy. Its orangish-gold color flashed in the lightning, gleaming brighter than polished topaz. The Organoid's fiery eyes glowed in the darkness, like the last embers of a dying fire. The boy struggled a last time, kicking the Organoid in its leg as hard as he could in his weak state. The Organoid released him and roared in pain, but it was useless, for a second later the Organoid went right back to feeding. It was hopeless, he was too weak, and the Organoid too strong. The boy closed his eyes as the Organoid continued to feed… and his struggling stopped…_

"Ibeyla!! Ibeyla get up!!" Major Schubaltz shouted as he banged on the door of Ibeyla's quarters, trying to get her up.

"What?" Ibeyla moaned, rolling over in her sleep.

"It's Raven!! The Organoid got him!!" he shouted, banging harder on the door.

"What?!" she screamed, and opened the door in a second flat. She was dressed in her battle suit already, though her armor wasn't yet on.

"Prozen decided that Raven could have the Organoid if he could tame it, but the Organoid was much stronger and smarter than we anticipated, and it fought back. Raven was badly injured, and the two soldiers that stopped it from killing him were hurt as well. Prozen managed to get out, but when I got there the soldiers were unconscious and Raven was barely hanging on." Karl said quietly, lowering his head slightly. Ibeyla was shocked, her emerald eyes wide.

"Where is he?! Is he alright?!" Ibeyla screamed, worried about her friend's safety. Karl didn't answer, and that made her very nervous. "Karl? What happened? Is he okay?"

"No, he's not Ibeyla…" he said quietly, "… when I went to investigate all the commotion, I looked in and saw the Organoid with the two soldiers at his feet, and Raven collapsed in a pool of blood in the far side of the room. I tried to reach him, but the Organoid wouldn't let me get to him. He told me to get away, and to go get help. So I did, but when I can back…"

"What! What was wrong?!" Ibeyla shouted, now very worried for her friend's life.

"I heard a strange noise, only thing I could compare it to was the sound of cables rubbing together. Then just as some of my men ran in, the Organoid charged out and flew away. And when I ran into the room…" he paused for a moment, "… Raven wasn't there…"

"Oh no…" Ibeyla whispered, her eyes now very wide, "… the Organoid took him!"

"What?" Karl said, confused.

"Remember when my Ghost Raptor exploded? How Obscura pulled me inside her to save me from the fire?" Ibeyla said, pointing to her still sleeping blue Organoid that was currently lying on her own bed across form Ibeyla's. Karl nodded, and looked at the light blue metallic dragon.

"Yeah, I remember that… you had me scared to death." He said quietly, remembering how scared he had been when his student's Zoid had exploded in front of him.

"Well… that Organoid did that to Raven, and if we don't get him back soon, he'll…" she trailed off, tears forming in her eyes. Karl put his hand on the young girl's shoulder, causing her to look up at him.

"Don't worry Ibeyla, we'll get him back, I promise…" he said, looking her straight in the eyes. She nodded, and wiped some of the tears from her face. "… if you want to help us find him, get ready and meet me in the hanger in ten minutes." He added, walking off towards a group of soldiers. Ibeyla turned and ran back into her chamber, shutting the sliding door behind her.

"Obscura!! Obscura, get up now!!" she shouted to the sleeping Organoid on her own bed, built just for the metallic creature. The dragon-like Organoid lifted her head and yawned lazily, the Geno Breaker-like horn on her head glinting in the low light. Her eyes were still closed, and she started to curl up to go back to sleep, for the storm had darkened the sky and it was almost sunset.

_/I wanna go back to sleep…/_ Obscura whined to Ibeyla, lowering her head and sighing sleepily.

"Obscura, get up now!! Raven's in trouble!! That Organoid attacked him and carried him off somewhere!!" Ibeyla shouted at her Organoid partner, glaring at her. The Organoid's eyes flashed open in an instant; bright amethysts in the dark.

_/What?!/_ Obscura said, snapping her head up, eyes wide and staring at her Zoidian partner.

"He tried to tame that black Organoid, and it attacked him. From what Karl said he's near death, but the Organoid escaped and carried him off." Ibeyla said, on the verge of tears again.

_/Let's go find him!/_ Obscura snarled, jumping to her feet and spreading her deep blood-red wings. Ibeyla chuckled slightly despite herself, and quickly put on her armor and jacket. Her outfit was comprised of deep blue pants and shirt made from the same material as Raven's battle suit, and the shirt was a deep teal color. She strapped armor onto her lower arms, uniquely carved with the image of an Organoid like Obscura with wings spread, grasping an orb which contained her own star symbol, a sapphire-edged ebony raven, and a ruby talon surrounding a ruby orb. Surrounding all this was a vine-like design, inlayed in ebony on the frosted silver surface. This was found in her statis pod along with her and Obscura, and like her necklace, was a special gift from her lost Zoidian friend, Talon.

Ibeyla quickly put on a dark sapphire cloak and slid her arms in the sleeves, latching the single clasp on the front. She slipped her hands inside her black gloves, and quickly tied her long midnight-blue hair into a ponytail, but let some of her dark hair down, which framed her face. She threw on her black boots, and pulled her pant legs out so they covered up most of the high boots. Quickly, she attached the rest of her armor, one plate on each of her kneecaps, and one plate on each shoulder; plain and just a simple frosted silver with a raised edge, more like Raven's armor, compared to her ornate arm plates.

Suddenly, Ibeyla remembered something. She looked over at her small nightstand, which was empty other than a small lamp, her rare Sapphire-Ruby Lily, and some scattered papers. She froze for a minute when she didn't see what she was looking for, afraid she had lost it. Then, she quickly reached into her pocket, and her fingers touched the object of her search. Sighing in relief, she turned towards the door.

Ibeyla stopped for a moment, lost in thought. Her dream had not been normal, and it scared her. She had a unique Zoidian gift, able to see bits and pieces of the future sometimes in her dreams. This dream had been one of her premonition dreams, for it had been like she was there, right next to the Organoid, watching the whole thing unfold, completely out of her control. Ibeyla was a strong girl, both mentally and physically, and she didn't like feeling completely helpless. The dream… she had recognized both the boy and Organoid, and that scared her, for she consciously couldn't match them. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she started again towards the door.

"C'mon Obscura, we gotta go save Raven from that demon…" Ibeyla said; walking past her glittering Organoid and out into the hallway, noting mentally that she only had about three minutes to get to the hanger before Karl's deadline was up. Running the rest of the way, she made it to the hanger with only seconds to spare. Major Schubaltz turned from the group of soldiers he had been briefing, and looked at the gasping female pilot.

"Right on time, Ms. Secura, now hurry and get in your Zoid, we're leaving." Major Schubaltz said, his friendly tone replaced by the serious and no-nonsense tone he used when around his subordinates and superiors. Ibeyla nodded, and turned to her right, walking towards a silver tiger-like Zoid with Obscura in toe.

The glittering Zoidian creation lowered its head to the metal floor with a soft growl, the cockpit cover opening for its Zoidian pilot. The mighty Desert Panther was the last of its kind, for it and Shadow, Talon's Panther, had been the only two ever created, and Shadow had been destroyed by the Death Saurer. Spectral, as Ibeyla had named it, had a similar appearance to the developmental Lightning Saix, with long slender legs, flexible tail, thin but strong armor, and aerodynamic body. Its paws were more like a Liger's, with long, coppery claws designed for speed and traction on shifting sand, and for carving through the tough armor of opponents, capable of shearing through even the thick armor of a Gustav. Its silver armor glittered like diamonds in the dim light, and the dull ebony of its under-paneling stood in stark contrast to the light gleaming color of the tough armor. On its face armor, under its eyes, a vine-like design similar to the design on Ibeyla's armor gleamed like obsidian glass on the shimmering surface. Its head was also like a Saix's, and its bright copper-colored fangs hung down slightly past its chin, again similar in length and shape to a Saix's.

"Thanks Trill…" Ibeyla said as she strapped on her safety harness and pushed a few buttons. Spectral growled quietly and closed the cockpit, lifting its head up off the ground and standing to its full height, which was about the same as Raven's Zaber Fang, whom was in the stall beside it.

"Okay guys, based on the Organoid's last known direction, we will search the desert hills for Raven and the Organoid. Remember, Prozen wants that thing alive…" Major Schubaltz said over the Zoid's link as he guided his ebony and crimson Zaber Fang out of the hanger, Ibeyla quickly following. The other soldiers quickly fell in line behind her and Karl, for Ibeyla was highly ranked, the same rank as Raven.

The Desert Panther easily kept pace with the powerful Zaber, and could easily overtake it if it wished. The Zoid's fluid and graceful gait made the Zaber's smooth motions seem jerky and out-of-tune. _'These human-built Zoids aren't half as powerful as the weakest model the Zoidians built…'_ Ibeyla thought with a smirk, looking at a soldier's ungainly Command Wolf as it plodded along behind her. The rest of the soldiers had either Molgas or Rev Raptors, and one lucky soldier had the Command Wolf.

'_I told Prozen that that Organoid was dangerous, but he let Raven try to tame him anyway! Why didn't he heed my warning? I should have warned Raven about him… now he could die from his injuries, or the Organoid could eat him alive…'_ Ibeyla thought, worried for her friend's life. Her hand subconsciously grasped her necklace, and she moved her fingers over the intricately carved surface, as she always did when she was nervous or deep in thought. The feeling of the delicate charm calmed her, and let her thoughts clear. The delicate crimson heart had been hand-carved from a chunk of rare red Zoid Magnite, and had sapphires on the top and bottom of the heart, attaching the charm to a hair-thin strand, carefully cut from a piece of an Organoid's eggshell. This necklace, along with her carved armor, were her most prized possessions, and both were gifts from Talon, her Zoidian friend whom died trying to stop the Death Saurer.

'_I won't let what happened to Strake happen to Raven…'_ Ibeyla thought, memories of one of her friends coming back. Her friend, Strake, had been attacked by a rouge male Organoid. Despite being strong and in his teens, he wasn't able to get free and the Organoid severely injured him. The Organoid began to feed on him, and he died. She had been only six when he had died, and ever since his death she had been wary of male Organoids.

Noticing that her partner's mind was wandering, Obscura, whom had been flying alongside Spectral, growled to get Ibeyla's attention. Ibeyla snapped to reality, and released her necklace, grabbing the controls.

"Thank you Obscura." Ibeyla said to her Organoid, looking over at her. Obscura roared back, weaving in the air.

"Ibeyla? You okay? You normally aren't this quiet on missions." Major Schubaltz questioned, still using his serious tone.

"Could you turn off the public link, so just you and I can talk?" Ibeyla responded quietly, not wanting the other soldiers to get suspicious.

"Sure Ibeyla…" Major Schubaltz answered, flicking a few switches, "… okay, the public link is off. So what's on your mind?"

"Well…" Ibeyla said, "… when I was six, back in Zoidian times, I had a friend named Strake. He was my parent's friend's son, and was about fifteen. He was strong for his age, but was very nice to my brother and I, and always watched us when our parents went on expeditions. One day, he was out in the canyon, and was attacked by a strange colored rogue male Organoid. It hurt him very badly, and then started to feed on him. He died, and the last thing he said to me before he left that morning was, '… don't worry Ibeyla, I'll be fine, no Organoid will hurt me…' That's the same thing Raven said when he went to tame that black Organoid."

"I'm sorry to hear that Ibeyla, I really am…" Major Schubaltz said quietly, his serious tone replaced by one of concern and feeling, "… it's hard to lose a friend after they said they'll be fine, that happened to my dad when his friend, Dave, died in a Zoids battle. But don't you worry, Raven's a strong kid, he won't go down easily. We'll get him back, I promise."

"Thank you Karl, that means a lot…" Ibeyla said, smiling weakly.

"Welcome…" he smiled back, "… now keep your eyes open, we're nearing the hills." The link closed, and Ibeyla focused back on piloting her Zoid. Spectral growled softly, concerned about her as well.

"I'm fine girl, just some bad memories, nothing you need to worry about…" Ibeyla reassured her Zoid she was fine, patting the glass. Spectral growled quietly in understanding, and picked up her pace slightly.

She told no one about her dream.

* * *

"Sir, still no sign of the orange Organoid, but I think I just saw a different one." A teal-haired soldier said to his commanding officer, looking up from his binoculars.

"What did you just say O'Connell? Another Organoid?" the soldier's leading officer said, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I think I just saw a dark colored Organoid flying around the hills, Captain Herman." O'Connell answered, glancing back at his commander.

"Dark colored?" Captain Herman asked, "Dark as in a darker shade or dark as in black?"

"Black sir." O'Connell nodded, "You think it could be the one that escaped Flyhieght's squadron?"

"I think it might be…" Captain Herman said, smirking, "… and since Flyhieght had that Organoid first, that makes it property of the Republican Army…"

* * *

Riding the currents of air whipped up by the storm, Geier dipped and wheeled in the churning clouds. His coppery color shone brightly against the black boiling clouds, a rust colored spot on the black sky. He had been roused from his deep slumber by the smell of blood, and he was looking for the source. _'Maybe I'll be able to find an injured human to feed on, the wounds on my leg are acting up again, and I haven't feed for what seems like decades…'_ the large Organoid thought, scouting the hills for any signs of a creature in distress.

Geier is a rare breed of Organoid, and the last of his kind active on Zi. He is the Organoid equivalent of a vulture, rarely hunting down his own prey, instead searching for the weak and dying. His impressive size and power enabled him to seize prey form other predators, and steal away their hard-won prize. His strange color matched the color of the hills perfectly, giving him a unique advantage against prey and enemies alike. Even though he was a scavenger, since there were no Organoids to steal from, he had turned into a partial predator, attacking the weak and injured. Since he is a Reiniger Organoid, he needs to feed, unlike other Organoids, which only feed when they are young. All the extra energy allows the Reiniger Organoids to grow larger and develop unique abilities, such as Ago Doku Koori-like poison and 'sixth' senses.

Geier had developed a stronger poison, which could partially paralyze prey, and eventually make them lose consciousness. Although not as powerful as an Ago Doku Koori's venom, it was more powerful than the normal substance created by normal Organoids. He was one of the few Reiniger Organoids to survive the Death Saurer and the famine that followed. Immediately after the Death Saurer, food had been plentiful, but after all that had been consumed, many starved. He had managed to survive by going into suspended animation for nearly a hundred years, and when he awoke food supplies had replenished. Now, however, food was very easy to capture, for humans were very easy to catch, and they were highly susceptible to his poison.

A sudden gust of wind made Geier falter for a moment, but he quickly recovered. _'These winds are just too fierce, I'll wait out the storm and search later…'_ he thought, slowly gliding down and landing in a cave. He shook the rain from his body and sat down, facing the outside. His right leg was stretched out, unable to retract fully due to an old injury. He tried to pull it closer to him, but yelped in pain.

'_I never should have tried to take that Zoidian boy… he put up a much stronger fight than I had anticipated, and I still bare the scars all these centuries later…'_ the Organoid seethed in his mind, scowling as he looked at his all but crippled leg. A loud crash of thunder broke his thoughts, and he turned to look out of the cave.

'_I will find that injured human as soon as this storm lets up, then I will consume its energy. That should hopefully be enough for my leg to heal up enough for me to walk normally again…'_ he smirked evilly, flexing his long, dangerous talons. He curled his long, thin tail around himself, the sharp arrowhead-shaped blade at the end shining in the lightning. His blood colored eyes burned in the darkness of the cave, like flat rubies.

He looked very similar to the common draconian Organoids that partnered with the Zoidians, though his ferocity and feral nature were nothing like his tame cousins. His large and bulky body was much stronger than a normal Organoid's, and he was more than capable of ripping apart a Zoid without shooting through the Core. His teeth weren't the dull and flat-edged teeth of normal Organoids; his were round at the base and very sharp, more carnivore-like. His two long fangs were hollow like a snake's, and like a serpent harbored a dangerous toxin. His wings were longer and fuller than most other Organoids, and were a strange dark grey instead of the normal tan or red. His belly was bigger and wider than most other Organoids, designed to expand when the Organoid swallows or eats a big meal, again like a large serpent's would. His under plating was deep ebony, making his armor's earthy tone all the more striking. Most Organoids didn't have this sort of color, many were brightly colored to show off and for display, but his was a rusty, almost dirty color. His claws were thicker and sharper than most, and made him all the more formidable. He was also different in the fact that he has a taste for human blood. Most Organoids eat Magnite or absorb energy from a Zoid Core when they must feed, but he would rather attack and feed off a living creature.

Yawning loudly, Geier lowered his head to the dry stone, still watching the raging storm. His coppery color dissolved his outline, and he seemed to melt into the stone. His bright eyes and dark under color were the only indicators of his presence, and even they were pretty hard to spot in the dark cavern, save his glowing eyes. Growling quietly, he slowly tapped his bladed tail-tip against the ground, the razor-sharp edge cutting into the stone, even though he wasn't putting any effort into it. He snorted, rousing the thin golden dust that covered the floor, creating a small sickly golden cloud around his mouth.

'_I won't have to wait much longer, the storm is moving quickly, then I will be able to find that human and feed, and finally rid myself of the pain that has plagued me so long…'_

* * *

Shadow lowered his head to the ground, exhausted, and sick from the horribly sweet taste in his mouth. It had taken an nearly an hour to clean the fluid from Raven, but he knew it needed to be done. Raven had fallen asleep, and was still leaning against his side. The storm hadn't let up at all since it had started, and the rain had chilled the air, making the already cold air in the cavern even colder.

The wet chilly air didn't bother the dark Organoid in the slightest, but he grew worried that Raven would get too cold. As if responding to his thoughts, Raven coughed and started to shiver. Shadow sighed and spread his great wing, laying it over Raven, which covered him like a warm blanket.

Raven instantly stopped shivering, and fell back into a deep sleep. Shadow sighed and closed his eyes, not looking forward to looking after a wounded human. _'At least a wounded human is more company than myself, I suppose…'_ Shadow thought, snorting quietly. His eyes started to close, and soon he to was snoring soundly, completely unaware of the Imperial soldiers searching for both of them, the Republican troops watching him, and the Reiniger Organoid following Raven's trail…

_**.:End of Chapter 3:.**_

* * *

**AN**- Well? I told you that this style was different than my normal style. Lol. What did you think? I'm sorry that there was no action or fighting and stuff and that it was mostly talk and description, but the next chapter will be a fighting chapter, I promise!!XD This is one of my longest chapters I've ever written, comparable to _**Rebirthing**_ and chapter 12 of _**The Dark Savior**_. I like this chapter, this style is similar to my up-coming fic, _**The Ghost and the Raven**_. I hope you like it. Geier will play a bigger role later on. The dream… that was one of the darkest paragraphs I've ever written. Lol. As always, **anonymous reviewers are accepted and highly appreciated!!** I love to hear from you guys, cause once upon a time _**I**_ was an anonymous reviewer!! Lol. Again, **all flamers will be fed to Leiden!!** Non-flamers, don't worry, he won't hurt you. Lol.

The page-breaks represent POV changes and shifts between different characters, just so ya know. ;)

**Anonymous Reviewers Please Read!!**- I will respond to your reviews as I would a review sent in by a reviewer. I will leave a response to your review in my profile under the 'Comments to Anonymous Reviewers' section in my profile. Please leave a review guys, I love to hear from you!! :)

_**Ibeyla :P**_


	4. The Demon of the Hills

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yup, I'm taking a slight break from _**Of Zoids and Organoids**_ to work on this. Again, writing this has rekindled my interest in my old fic that I have finally gotten around to posting, _**The Ghost and the Raven**_. Well, as soon as I finish _**The Dark Savior**_ (which I might put on hiatus, due to lack of interest) I'll work on it again, but if I do put it on hiatus, I'll post the first chapter sometime. I think I might start it, cause I've _really_ lost interest in _**The Dark Savior**_. Well, this fic has also brought back my interest in _**Rebirthing**_. There still may be hope for that fic yet!! Lol. This chapter is going to be primarily about Ibeyla, Karl, and Geier, and there will be a LOT of action in it. And in this chapter, someone's going down. (evil laughter). Oh, if you haven't realized this already, sometimes when I switch POVs I overlap some events, to give you a different view of a scene. I do that a lot, and will in this chapter, too. Btw, you need to have read the last chapter to really understand what's going on, just wanted to give you guys the heads-up. Lol. Anyway, I'm going to shut up now and let you read on. Without further a due, chapter 4- The Demon of the Hills!! (very ominous, isn't it? XP Lol.)

* * *

_**.:Chapter 4- The Demon of the Hills:.**_

Ibeyla, Karl, and the soldiers reached the edge of the hills near midnight, but it was too dark to search.

"Alright everyone! Get your tents up, and get some sleep. We start search at sun-up!" Major Schubaltz barked orders to the small group of soldiers. They nodded and set up the site, putting up a small village of tents and unloading supplies from the one lone medical and supply Gustav. Ibeyla helped unload the medical supplies, and by the end of the hour the site was completely set up.

Ibeyla had already set up her tent, and Obscura was already sleeping on her sleeping bag. Spectral was lying down behind the tent, curled up and snoring like a sleeping cat. The camp was surrounded by dense forest, bad for spotting incoming enemies, but great for hiding your presence. Ibeyla admired the beautiful forest scenery as she walked back to her tent after finishing unloading some crates of supplies from the Gustav.

"Obscura…" Ibeyla moaned as she opened the flaps of the blue tent, seeing her Organoid curled up and snoring on her sleeping bag. Obscura lifted her head at her master's voice, but didn't move from her spot. Ibeyla glared at the blue Organoid, half standing out in the rain. Obscura just smirked at her master, again, not moving, just looking at Ibeyla as she stood in the rain.

"Everything okay, Ibeyla?" Major Schubaltz said suddenly, looking at the twelve year old Zoidian girl strangely. Ibeyla jumped and shouted, yelping as she cracked her head on the metal support bar inside the fabric of the tent. She wheeled around, but her boots slipped in the mud and she fell flat on her face.

"Good lord Ibeyla, it's a wonder you can walk at all without falling and hurting yourself!! How the Helkat does Raven put up with you?!" Karl joked, holding out his hand to help her up.

"Well, I would fall so much if _some_ people wouldn't scare me all the time, Karl!! And Raven and I have been friends since we were kids, and he's not the most balanced person, either!!" Ibeyla snapped, grabbing his hand. Karl scoffed sarcastically and pulled her up, helping the girl to her feet.

"Whatever Ibeyla, just get some rest, you'll need it to help look for Raven tomorrow, besides, you're the only person here that knows how to track Organoids." Karl said on a more serious note, releasing her hand and looking off into the hills.

"Yeah… and hopefully I won't have the dreams again…" Ibeyla said under her breath, following Karl's gaze.

"What was that Ibeyla?" he asked, looking down at the young Zoidian.

"Nothing… goodnight Karl, see you at sun up." Ibeyla said quickly, turning towards her tent.

"Goodnight Ibeyla." Karl said as he turned away, walking towards his own tent on the other side of the camp. Ibeyla crawled into her blue tent, zipping the flaps closed behind her. She turned around and looked at her sleeping bag, located at the far left side of the relatively roomy tent. On the other side, a few crates were stacked up, filled with medical supplies, and on top of one of them was a lit electric lantern. Next to her sleeping bag was a mat, laid out just for Obscura, but she had curled up on the much softer sleeping bag during her master's absence.

"Obscura, get off my sleeping bag and sleep on your own bed!" Ibeyla said, pushing the large Organoid in an attempt to move her. Obscura growled and got to her feet, grumbling as she walked over and curled up on the mat rolled out for her.

"Oh quit whining, you know that you're supposed to sleep on the mat." Ibeyla sighed, looking at her fuming Organoid.

_/Well if you get me my own soft sleeping bag instead of this hard mat, I wouldn't steal yours!/_ Obscura growled, curling up on the mat.

"I'll ask Karl tomorrow for an extra bag if we have to stay another night." Ibeyla said, smiling at her whining Organoid. Then, the last few words of her sentence sank in, and she lowered her head sadly.

_/Don't worry Ibeyla; Raven won't let that Organoid hurt him. He's strong for a human and that Organoid was already warn-out from being captured. Raven will be okay, and I bet you'll find him right-off tomorrow./_ Obscura tried to cheer up her partner, but the Zoidian barely listened.

"I know Raven is strong, but that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried that the Organoid might have started feeding on him, and being exhausted from being captured means that it more than likely will, or already has, started feeding. If it has, even Raven won't last long…" Ibeyla said quietly, not looking up at her Organoid. Obscura cocked her head, and became worried when she saw silver tears falling from her partner's face.

_/Oh Ibeyla…/_ Obscura crooned, lightly nuzzling her Zoidian master's armored shoulder. _/No don't cry, Raven's going to be okay, that Organoid won't feed on him… Raven won't let it. He's going to be fine, Ibeyla…/_ Obscura tried to calm the young Zoidian down, and it seemed to work. Ibeyla sniffed and lifted her head, tears covering her face.

"I'm not sure, Obscura, you remember what happened to Strake… I'm worried that by the time we find him, it might be too late…" Ibeyla said quietly, lowering her head again.

_/Ibeyla, no… no more tears… Raven's going to be fine…/_ Obscura sighed, gently nosing her partner's cheek, licking her face.

"Thank you, Obscura…" Ibeyla said quietly, putting her hand on her Organoid's snout as she wiped away the tears with her other hand. Obscura growled happily and licked her wrist, before she curled back up on her mat. Ibeyla smiled despite her sadness and took off her soaking cloak, hanging it from the wire that hung above her head that ran the entire length of the tent. She hung it away from her sleeping bag and Obscura's mat, so that the water wouldn't drip on them in their sleep as the cloak dried. After her cloak was hanging to dry, she took off her armor and set them on top of the crates, next to the still lit lantern. She left her necklace on, for she rarely took it off when it wasn't completely necessary.

"Okay Obscura, goodnight…" Ibeyla said, turning off the lantern on the crate, although the lantern near her sleeping bag still glowed. She grabbed a paper from beside the lantern, and stood up.

_/Night…/_ Obscura yawned, showing her sharp silver teeth before she curled up tighter and fell asleep. Ibeyla walked over and slipped in her sleeping bag, still fully dressed, just in case of an ambush during the night. She looked over the paper, which was about an old legend about a creature that would attack and eat people and that was supposed to live in these hills, that was called 'the Demon of the Hills'. It was supposed to be an old colonist legend, but recent deaths and disappearances had prompted her to look at the old article. After reading about half of the article, she set the paper down and decided to try and get some rest. Just as she turned off the lantern, she sensed something nearby. She looked around, but couldn't see anything.

"Must've been my imagination…" Ibeyla yawned, rolling over in her sleeping bag and falling asleep.

Unknown to her, from in the shadows, crimson eyes were watching her friend's every move…

* * *

Geier had been attracted out into the forest by the sounds of Zoids and people. So far, he hadn't been able to find the wounded human, but now he hoped he might be able to catch a weary soldier walking around alone. From his hiding place, he could see most of the camp, but no one could see him.

He watched a lone soldier walk from a large tent to an ebony and crimson Zaber Fang, which bowed down to allow the human to enter the cockpit. Geier grinned cruelly, for the soldier was far enough away from the other tents that no one would be able to hear the soldier's screams if he did attack.

Moving slowly, Geier silently walked past a now-dark blue tent, careful not to alert whoever was inside to his presence, especially since he smelled an Organoid inside, and a particularly powerful one at that.

The soldier was getting something from the Zaber Fang's cockpit, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Geier smirked, for right now had the elements on his side, not only surprise, but the rain was covering his trail, reducing his prey's visibility, and making enough noise that any noise he made was drowned out. Everything was perfect, and Geier knew that all he had to do was get close and wait for the perfect opportunity.

Geier moved closer to the distracted soldier, hiding in the thick bushes around the path that lead to the large Zoid and the soldier. Unfortunately for the soldier, the path that leads to the Zaber Fang was thickly overgrown, and all the vegetation muffled any noise and blocked all view, so if someone in the camp did in fact hear something, they still wouldn't be able to see anything.

The soldier was directly in front of Geier, about five yards away, his back to the hungry Organoid as he patched up some scratches on the sitting Zaber's lower right front leg. The Zaber Fang was now asleep, and that meant that if he did pounce, the Zaber wouldn't hear a thing and would be oblivious to his pilot's danger.

Geier took a step forward, edging a little closer, but careful to keep his body hidden beneath the covering of emerald plants. Where as in the desert his color was perfect camouflage, here in the forest his earthy tone stuck out, severely compromising his stealth. Fortunately, the human was unaware of his presence, and wouldn't be until it was far too late.

The coppery Organoid edged a little bit closer, but since he was focused on the soldier, wasn't paying attention to where he was placing his foot, and he stepped on a large fallen branch, which broke like an eggshell, the noise of which seemed deafening to the hunting Organoid. _'Helkat!!'_ Geier thought frantically, watching the soldier spin around, his emerald eyes scanning the forest. Geier held his breath and narrowed his eyes, hoping the soldier wouldn't see his bright eyes in the darkness.

When the soldier didn't make any noise or any other indicator that he had seen him, Geier slowly opened his eyes. Thankfully, his prey hadn't seen him, and thankfully the foliage had kept the lightning from glinting off his armor. _'Now… as soon as he lets his guard down… he's mine…'_ Geier thought, grinning cruelly, flicking his bladed tail tip back and forth in anticipation.

The soldier slowly turned back to his Zoid, turning his back to the waiting Organoid. Geier slowly crept closer, crouched low against the ground like a stalking tiger. His large claws were widely spread to disperse the Organoid's weight on the inch of mud, which covered rain-slick stone. The soldier was still oblivious to his peril, and by the time he realized, it would be too late.

With a loud roar, Geier pounced, claws spread and fangs bared. To his astonishment, the soldier jumped to the right at the last moment, causing the great Organoid to smash into the side of the crouched Zaber Fang. The soldier circled behind him, but Geier whipped his tail across the ground, catching the soldier's ankle, which caused him to fall on his right side with a shout and drop the pistol he had just pulled out to the muddy ground.

Geier wheeled around and growled at his prey, his mouth twisted into a snarl, the sharp fangs that now hung down dripping yellow poison. The soldier quickly tried to grab the gun, but Geier wasn't about to let him. He snarled and lunged, biting the soldier's outstretched arm. The soldier cried out in pain, pulling his arm free from the Organoid's jaws, but the damage had already been done. The Organoid's long fangs had pierced his skin, injecting a small amount of the powerful toxin. It wasn't enough to bring him down, but even the small amount that he had received could potentially render him unable to stand, and unable to defend himself, and if Geier managed to bite him again, he would become paralyzed and lose consciousness, but even in a large amount the poison isn't _immediately_ fatal.

The soldier scrambled to his feet, holding his left arm where the Organoid had bitten him. Geier slowly stalked to the right, blocking any possible escape into the forest. He knew he wouldn't try to run back to the camp, for if he did he would pounce. Geier simply bided his time, watching the poison slowly take control of his prey's body. The soldier's eyes became cloudy, and he started to stumble, the poison beginning to take effect.

Geier growled lowly, and slowly started to approach the failing soldier. He stopped about a yard in front of the soldier, knowing the soldier was still strong enough to harm him even in his state, and that the poison still hadn't taken full effect. The soldier didn't move, for it looked like if he took a single step he would fall over. Geier narrowed his eyes at the still-standing human, surprised by his strength and will.

'_A normal human would have been brought to their knees from the poison by now… this soldier is either very strong or very stubborn…'_ Geier thought, glaring at his prey with emotionless eyes. The soldier glared back, showing no signs of fear, even as Geier lowered his head down to mere inches in front of his face.

Geier curled his lip and snarled, exposing his large fangs, now dripping with a combination of venom and blood. The soldier just stared back, before a smirk appeared on his face. Geier was confused on why his prey thought his situation was something to smirk about, until he felt cold steel pressing against his throat. His eyes widened when he realized that what he was feeling was the barrel of the gun, and the fact that he couldn't move without getting shot dawned on him.

'_I thought he dropped the gun when I bit him!'_ Geier thought, eyes still wide. The soldier pushed the gun deeper into Geier's throat, causing the Organoid to back away a few feet. Geier stepped backwards, until the gun was a relatively safe few feet away. The soldier kept the gun pointed at him, but his hand was starting to shake as the poison continued to spread.

A bolt of lightning lit the black sky, turning the falling rain silver for the brief moment. Thunder shook the very ground, mixing with the Reiniger Organoid's rumbling growls. _'He won't be able to last much longer… the poison is spreading quickly, and it won't be long before he collapses…'_ Geier thought with an evil smirk, hissing loudly at the soldier.

The soldier groaned as the poison's hold on him tightened, and the gun slipped from his hand, falling to the muddy ground with a muffled _clunk_. Geier smirked and pounced, knocking the soldier to the ground and holding him down. Amazingly, the soldier still fought back, trying to push the Organoid's head away from his throat.

Geier snarled in frustration, for he couldn't get at the soldier's throat, and the soldier was proving much stronger than he had anticipated. Hissing in rage, Geier wormed his way through the soldier's arms and struck, biting into the soldier's shoulder, his fangs piercing and sinking deep into his struggling prey.

The soldier cried out in pain as the Organoid's long fangs sank into him, and as Geier injected his potent venom into him. Geier hissed loudly, feeling the soldier's struggling lessening. The soldier's heavy breathing started to slow, and his eyes began to cloud as the poison took hold. The soldier groaned weakly, and his eyes closed as his body relaxed. As soon as the soldier stopped moving, Geier opened his jaws, releasing his prey's shoulder and folding his fangs back against the roof of his mouth like a snake. Geier smirked cruelly and stepped off the unmoving soldier, standing over his prey in triumph, the silver fluid used for feeding beginning to form in his jaws as he prepared to feed on his prey.

Suddenly, the soldier's eyes flashed open, and he kicked Geier's wounded leg, causing the huge coppery Organoid to double-over in pain. Geier screamed, backing away and stumbling around the small clearing. The soldier reached over and grabbed the pistol, and amazingly got to his feet, once again pointing the gun at Geier as he turned back to him.

'_This isn't worth it… I'll find that wounded human and consume him instead…'_ Geier thought, spreading his dark wings and flying upwards, leaving his barely living prey in search of easier quarry. His leg throbbed in pain, for the soldier had managed to kick the old wounds.

'_Now I must find that wounded human and feed… and maybe I will return and finish off that soldier…'_

* * *

Karl shouted as the copper Organoid pounced, knocking him to the muddy ground and pinning him down on his back. The Organoid held him down, its clawed hands grabbing his arms, its left foot pressing into his stomach, pushing him down into the mud. He managed to get his arms free, and he tried feebly to push the Organoid's head away, trying to keep it from getting to his throat.

The Organoid snarled and forced its way through his arms, and before Karl even had a chance to breathe, struck, its fangs biting deep into his shoulder. He screamed in pain, the Organoid's fangs like burning needles as he felt warmth spread from the bite through the rest of his body. The poison affected him immediately, and he being already weak from the earlier bite accelerated its progress. His heavy breathing began to slow, his vision became blurry, his body began to go numb and it became harder and harder to move. The Organoid hissed; its jaws still clamped on his shoulder as it continued to inject its venom. He knew the Organoid was poisonous, for when it had bitten him earlier he had felt something get forced into the wound, and the serpent-like fangs weren't there for show.

Suddenly, Karl had an idea. _'Maybe if I fain death, it might get off me… but if I'm wrong, it'll eat me alive…'_ he thought, the pressure on his stomach easing slightly. He groaned and closed his eyes, stopping his struggling and relaxing fully. As he had planned, the Organoid opened its jaws, and stepped off him, but it still stood over him. Karl waited a few seconds, not wanting the Organoid to pounce on him again. He cracked his eyes open, and looked at the Organoid. It hovered over him, its long fangs retracted, but now a silvery fluid dripped down its jaws.

Karl made his move. Mustering up what strength he could, he kicked the Organoid's right leg, where he had seen damage earlier. The Organoid doubled-over, before it screamed and staggered away from him, leaving Karl free. Karl took the chance, he reached over and grabbed the pistol with his left hand, and using the little strength he had left, staggered to his feet. He pointed the gun at the Organoid as it turned back to him, fully intending to unload the entire magazine into the Zoid.

The Organoid silently spread its dark grey wings, and shot up into the stormy sky, disappearing into the night. Karl watched it fly away, until he was sure it wasn't going to wheel around and attack him again.

"I need to get back before I collapse… or before it comes after me again…" Karl thought out loud, turning around. The poison had blurred his vision, and in his dazed state, he went down the wrong path. The path he had accidentally taken lead to a small pond deep in the woods, far away from the camp. With every passing step, it became harder and harder to move, and his vision became more and more blurred.

Karl walked for nearly half an hour, before he reached the small pond. He stopped and looked around, but was unable to determine where he was with his clouded vision. The poison was taking control, and he was on the verge of collapse. His body was numb and all but paralyzed, and he knew he couldn't last much longer. He was exhausted, and all he wanted to do was to sleep, but he knew that if he slept, he more than likely wouldn't wake back up.

He groaned and leaned against a tree near the water's edge. He tried to catch his breath, for it was getting harder to breathe with each labored breath. It was getting harder to stand by the second, and he knew that if he didn't rest he would collapse. He slid down to the ground, leaning back against the tree with his eyes closed as he gasped for breath.

He tried to lift his hand, but his arm felt heavy, and he found himself barely able to move. _'Oh no… now if that Organoid finds me, I won't be able to defend myself…'_ Karl thought, looking down at the gun in his hand. He groaned, feeling his consciousness starting to slip. The poison had spread through his entire body, and he knew that if he didn't get help soon, the copper Organoid would no doubt find him.

The tree he was leaning against kept most of the cold pouring rain off him, but the air was cold, and in his condition hypothermia was a very really possibility. Fortunately, the tree was also large enough that it would keep him hidden from view from the air, meaning that the Organoid might pass over him, but that was a long shot, since he had left a trail of blood leading right to him.

'_The only way I'm going to get out of here alive is if Ibeyla has her communicator on…'_ Karl thought, slowly reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small black device. He pushed a red button, and a small light on the device started to blink red.

"I hope Ibeyla can hear that… or I'm as good as dead…" Karl said weakly, lowering his head and closing his eyes as the poison's hold tightened further. Groaning, he felt sleep approaching, and he couldn't fight it anymore.

In the darkness, a few yards away, a pair of eyes watched him lose consciousness…

_**.:End of Chapter 4:.**_

* * *

**AN**- Bet none of ya thought Karl would be the one going down, now did ya? Lol. This is where that character death warning comes in to play. Lol. XP This one of my favorite fics right now, and it is one of my best. I plan on trying to update _**Fury's Core**_ sooner or later, but I might add chapter 3 of _**The Ghost and the Raven**_ first. I'm not sure. Lol. Hope y'all liked this chapter!! Please review!! Remember, **anonymous reviews welcome and will be replied to in my profile!!** And again, **all flamers will be fed to Leiden and Geier!!** If you value your life, don't flame!! Lol. XP Non-flamers are safe!! Lol. Please review!! ;)

**A note for readers**- If you are confused on what it means when an Organoid feeds, you need to read my old one-shot, _**The Distant Stars**_. It partially explains it. For the complete explanation, you need to read the AN at the top of chapter 4 of my fic, _**The Dark Savior**_. It will clear any confusion that you might have. Sorry if any of you got confused.

Thanks for reading!! Please review, I want to know how I did!! ;)

_**Ibeyla :P**_


	5. Grim Discovery

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yup, I'm back from vacation!! Lol. To reward your good behavior in my absence, I am rewarding you with chapter 5!! Lol. The last chapter had some of you guys' hearts racing, didn't it? Hopefully Ibeyla has on her communicator, otherwise whatever was watching Karl might just get him. That last chappie was intense!! Lol. My heart is still racing over that fight!! Thank Eve Geier isn't the boldest Organoid. XP This fic has taken top priority right now. Lol. The first part starts out during events in the last chapter, before Karl was attacked. Btw, in this fic, its before Karl gets promoted, and he's going to have on a green soldier's clothes, instead of his normal violet and grey ones. And he doesn't have his hat. Also, he's going to be in his early twenties, since this takes place a few years before CC. Don't nag me about it!! Well, I'm not going to keep you any longer. Here's chapter 5- Grim Nightmares!! (makes you worry about Karl, doesn't it? Lol)

**Important Announcement!!**- Guys, something horrible happened on vacation. My mom's friend, Kathy, was out on a drive in Arizona, and her dog, Curley, was struck and killed by a car. Curley and I were close, and his adoptive sister, Ruby, was extremely depressed and wouldn't even go on a walk with me or play fetch. I'm really upset by his loss, and it happened the day before we went to see them. I'm going to write a special tribute fic in his honor, titled _**Guardian in Wolf's Clothing**_. Please R & R it when I post it.

* * *

_**.:Chapter 5- Grim Discovery:.**_

Shadow lifted his head and yawned, woken by the loud thunder. He guessed it was after midnight, but since the moons were obscured by the clouds, he wasn't entirely sure. The rain was still pouring down, and he lowered his head to the stone to watch the lightning-lit drops fall from the sky. Watching the rain made the great Organoid sleepy, and he yawned as his eyes began to close.

'_Wait… Raven hasn't had any water, I should probably get him some… he's lost a lot of blood, and I'm sure some water would help…'_ Shadow thought, looking back at the young pilot asleep against his side, wrapped tightly in his tail and covered with his wing. Raven was in a deep sleep, exhausted from his earlier ordeal. Shadow couldn't blame him, for his wounds were bad and being chewed on and tossed around by an angry Organoid would defiantly wear out a young human.

Shadow decided he should go and bring back some water. He retracted his wing and slowly uncurled his tail from around Raven, trying not to wake the young human up. Raven groaned weakly as Shadow's tail uncoiled from around his side, where Shadow guessed he had a broken rib. He waited until Raven fell back into a deep sleep before he uncurled the rest of his tail.

Very slowly, Shadow carefully got to his feet. He moved Raven back against the wall so that he was sitting up, which Shadow knew would help ease his breathing. Growling softly, he walked to the front of the cave, stopping just before the thin curtain of falling water that covered the entrance. _'I hope the thunder doesn't wake him up, he needs to get his strength back…'_ Shadow thought, looking back at the young human, before he spread his wings and soared out into the storm.

The wind was no problem for the Organoid, and he twisted and ducked through the squall like it was a pleasant summer breeze. He was looking for anything he could use to carry water in, so that he could collect some rain water for Raven, but so far he hadn't been able to see anything through the rain.

The forest looked more promising, so he wheeled to the left, skimming the tops of the trees as he searched. Suddenly, the trees stopped, and he found himself flying over a human camp. Judging by the size, he determined that there were quite a few humans, and the small group of Zoids off to the side confirmed his suspicion- a search party, for him and Raven, no doubt.

'_Maybe there will be some canteens or something that I can take for Raven…'_ Shadow thought, landing off to the side, away from the tents. He turned and slowly approached a blue tent, using it as cover. He silently walked beside it, stopping to peer around, to see if any soldiers were out. Seeing none, he quickly made his way across the camp, towards the largest tent, which he guessed was the kitchen tent. Beside the tent were several large crates, one of which was broken open.

Shadow looked inside the crate, and saw a small bowl sitting on top of countless plates and cups. _'Just what I need…'_ Shadow thought, smirking at his good fortune. Being very quiet, he reached in a pulled out the wooden bowl, careful not to bang any of the fragile plates together.

Just as he pulled the bowl out, some of the plates inside, unbalanced form the bowl's removal, slid into each other with a loud _clank_. Shadow froze at the sound, and his circuits raced when he heard movement from the tent on the other side of the large tent. He ducked down, sneaking beside the large tent, hugging the ground with his claws.

He could hear someone walking around, and his curiosity got the better of him. Shadow peeked his head around the edge of the tent, trying to see who was walking around. His breath caught, for it was a soldier, and not just any soldier, it was the soldier that had tried to take Raven away from him earlier. He knew this soldier wasn't afraid of him, and that made the great Organoid nervous, for he used fear to his advantage in fights.

To Shadow's relief the soldier turned and walked in the opposite direction. He sighed, for if the soldier had walked towards him, he would've had to have pounced on him and most likely killed him to keep his presence secret. Honestly, Shadow felt he could trust the major for some reason, he didn't really know why. He knew the major wasn't afraid of him, for he had boldly tried to take Raven away.

Shadow snapped back to reality, and stood back up. He shook the dust and dirt from his armor, and stepped out. The major had disappeared down a path at the other end of the camp, leaving Shadow free to move about. Shadow growled and spread his wings, silently flying up into the air and out into the forest.

* * *

Ibeyla rolled over in her sleeping bag, muttering something in Zoidian. Obscura had curled up on the foot of the sleeping bag, and she was snoring as she slept peacefully. Ibeyla was having another dream, but this one was different, and it felt just too real…

_Ibeyla opened her eyes, and realized she was in a forest. She saw a person stagger to a tree and collapse, bleeding from wounds that covered his body. A few seconds later, an Organoid appeared from the darkness, eyes glowing like bloody fire. It slowly approached the wounded human, hissing loudly and baring its sharp fangs. The coppery Organoid circled slowly, growling and hissing at the human it had attacked. The human, who appeared to be a soldier, raised a gun and fired, hitting the Organoid in its armored chest. The Organoid screamed in pain, staggering away from the collapsed soldier. The soldier groaned and dropped his gun as he clutched his shoulder, blood covering his gloved hand. The Organoid growled lowly and a twisted smirk appeared on its face. With a groan, the soldier's now-dull green eyes closed, and his hand slipped off his bloodied shoulder. The Organoid hissed as its cruel grin broadened, exposing two long fangs to the light of the moons. Slowly, the Organoid moved close to the failing soldier, silver fluid dripping down its jaws. Lightning split the sky, turning the Organoid from copper to ivory. With a loud snarl, the coppery Organoid lunged, snapping its jaws shut on the soldier's shoulder. The soldier cried out in pain, but was unable to do anything. Ibeyla felt she had to do something, but wasn't sure what. Before she could so much as breathe, everything went black, and all she could hear was the sound of the Organoid's eating…_

Ibeyla gasped and opened her eyes, jumping up in her sleeping bag, drenched in sweat. Obscura, woken by her master's sudden movement, lifted her head and blinked, yawning loudly.

_/What's wrong Ibeyla?/_ Obscura yawned, blinking her bright amethyst eyes as she woke.

"I had another dream… but this one was different… it was the same copper Organoid, but it attacked a different person, and I was there beside it. I was completely helpless… and the person it was attacking… seemed so familiar…" Ibeyla whispered, lowering her head as she drew her knees up to her chest.

_/Ibeyla… you know those are only dreams… there's no need to worry…/_ Obscura tried to comfort her Zoidian partner, but to no avail.

"Obscura, don't you understand?! Something bad is going to happen!! I can feel it!! You always tell me to listen to my instincts, and right now they're telling me something is terribly wrong!!" Ibeyla yelled, on the verge of tears.

_/Ibeyla, calm down!/_ Obscura said, _/Come on, let's take a walk through the forest, it'll help clear your mind…/_ she added, standing up as tall as she could in the tent and slipping outside. Ibeyla sighed and crawled out of her sleeping bag, grabbing her cloak and putting it on, fastening the single front clasp as she clambered after her Organoid.

Unknown to her, by her sleeping bag, her small communicator's warning light was blinking…

* * *

Geier circled where he had attacked the soldier, rain dripping from his coppery form. He had lost the scent of the wounded human he had been after earlier, and instead of spending all night on a hopeless search, he decided to return and find the soldier he had all but killed earlier. The smell of blood was still strong in the air, and it only deepened the ravenous Organoid's hunger.

The hungry Reiniger Organoid glared down at where the ambush had taken place less than an hour before. The soldier was no where to be seen, which surprised the Organoid greatly.

'_I injected enough poison into that soldier to kill him three times over… how could he have moved? He should be down there dead, unless another Organoid found him and dragged him off somewhere…'_ Geier thought, narrowing his eyes as he slowly glided down and landed on the disturbed muddy ground, which still bore the signs of the fight.

Geier looked around for any clues as to where the soldier had gone; blood, tracks, anything that might betray his prey's location. He looked down at his feet, and saw a small, almost invisible drop of blood. A low grow escaped his throat, his eyes darting from one drop, to another, to another and another. _'Perfect…'_ he thought, a grim smile appearing on his face,

'… _He left a trail of blood just for me to follow… I'll have to thank him, while I'm feeding on him…'_

* * *

Shadow lifted his head and sniffed the air, picking up the scent of blood. He was out in the forest, searching for food to give to Raven. _'Blood? Where is it coming from?'_ he thought, trying to find the source of the scent on the storm-blown winds. From the scent he could determine it was human, and it was fresh. The wind also carried the scent of another Organoid, and that worried Shadow, for he could tell it was a large Organoid.

He was near the human camp, and strangely he was worried that something might have happened to the Major. He could sense the young Zoidian girl's presence, and her mind felt oddly familiar to the dark Organoid. He shook his head and tried to pick up the scent again, but the pouring rain had diluted the scent.

Another gust of wind brought back the blood scent, this time much stronger. Shadow looked around, once again looking for a source, before he decided to follow the scent. He walked into the wind, following the scent away from the human camp.

After about ten minutes of following the scent, he came upon an over-groan path, and in the middle of the path was a trail of fresh blood, leading deep into the woods. Shadow followed the trail, keeping his eyes open for the human. He walked along the path for what felt like twenty minutes, when he spotted a clearing ahead. Being cautious, Shadow moved into the foliage around the path, hiding his presence from detection.

'_If there is a wounded human, I don't want to surprise him, or he might alert the search party to my presence, and that would put Raven in danger…'_ Shadow thought, watching for any sign of the human. He slowly edged closer to the clearing, ancient hunting instincts kicking in as the smell of blood grew stronger and stronger.

Suddenly, he heard a male human's voice from in the clearing. _'Wait… I know that voice!'_ Shadow thought, recognizing the human's voice. Exactly where he had heard the human's voice, he wasn't sure, but he was determined to find out who the human was.

A weak groan said that the human was very badly hurt, and that piqued Shadow's interest. _'Why is the human injured? And why is he out here, when he could have just gone to the camp?'_ Shadow pondered, cocking his head as he moved closer to the edge of the foliage, for he was still unable to see the human. The human was breathing heavily, almost like he was struggling to catch his breath. This confused Shadow further, and he became slightly worried.

Another strained groan made Shadow fear the human was being hurt- that something was hurting him. He pushed his head through the bush he was hiding behind, trying to see what was wrong. What he saw shocked even him- an Imperial soldier, dressed completely in green, collapsed at the base of a large tree, blood oozing from puncture wounds that covered his shoulder and arm. His ragged breathing was the only indicator that he was alive, and even that was beginning to fade. Shadow watched the human's shoulders slump as a labored sigh escaped him, which said that he had lost consciousness.

Shadow growled as he took a step from the foliage, moving a little closer to the unconscious soldier. The deep punctures on the human's shoulder were very deep, and looked like they were dealt from an Organoid's teeth. His clothes were muddy and torn in places, suggesting that there had been a struggle. Blood covered the tree where it appeared he had leaned on it, but then fell to his current position. He was holding a strange black device that blinked red every few seconds, which Shadow hadn't the slightest clue as to what it was. In his other hand, he loosely griped a muddy pistol, whose barrel was pointed at the ground.

Shadow was more worried about the soldier's breathing and wounded shoulder than the weapon that was cocked and ready to fire if he woke. Growling quietly, Shadow moved close to him and leaned down, trying to see the soldier's face. The soldier's ruffled sandy-blonde hair partly hid his face, but Shadow recognized him immediately. He was the soldier that ran into the room after he had attacked Raven, who had tried to reach Raven, and who had brought all the other soldiers when he had tried to escape. Shadow also recognized him as one of the soldiers that had captured him, and brought him to the base. He was the Major, Major Schubaltz, the soldier that he had seen wandering the camp earlier.

'_Why is he so far from the camp?'_ Shadow thought, cocking his head at the Major. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Shadow turned his attention to the deep wounds on the Major's arm and shoulder. Something about them wasn't right, and frankly he thought that the wounds shouldn't have brought down the soldier so easily.

That's when he realized that the wounds were from a poison Organoid. _'For the sake of Eve! He's been poisoned by a Reiniger!'_ Shadow gasped mentally, recognizing the fang marks on the soldier's arm. Now he knew why the soldier had been gasping for breath and had lost consciousness. Shadow was surprised he was still alive, for judging by the bite on his shoulder, he had received a lethal amount of the toxin.

'_If he doesn't get help soon, he'll die…'_ Shadow thought, fully realizing the severity of the soldier's condition. _'I can't help him, but maybe the humans at the camp can…'_ Shadow decided what to do. It would alert the humans to his presence, but Shadow didn't want to let him die, especially since he had stopped him from killing Raven.

Shadow lifted his head away from the soldier and roared, his cry carrying for miles. He roared again; his high-pitched cries, some of the loudest cries he could produce, would no doubt bring the Zoidian's Organoid that he had sensed in the camp. He knew better than to use his loudest roar, for that would be a territorial and aggression roar, which would keep the female Organoid from getting anywhere near the soldier.

He roared for the better part of five minutes, before he just couldn't roar anymore. Panting, he looked down at the soldier, still unconscious and unaware of him being there. _'I need to get out of here before they come… if they capture me Raven will be left alone up in the cave with no food or water…'_ Shadow thought, turning away from the dying soldier and walking to the edge of the pond, gulping down some water to help ease his strained throat.

A rustle from nearby made Shadow's head snap up, afraid that the Zoidian's Organoid had already followed his cries. Spreading his wide crimson wings, Shadow flew up into the air, and winged off towards the cave to give the rainwater he had collected to Raven.

What Shadow didn't realize, was that what was rustling in the top of the tree, wasn't the Zoidian's Organoid…

* * *

**AN**- Sorry if this is a little confusing, but I took this from like three rewrites that I wrote for this chapter. I originally going to have Geier find him, then Shadow, then an OC, but I couldn't decide which one to use. So, I just took the best parts from all three and put then in the original writing I first did for this chapter. I'm sorry if nothing really important happened in this chapter, but when I put the next part in, it extended the length of the chapter to like 4000 words, and I knew that was too long. That, and if I did the new part, I would have had to put the following part in as well, extending the length to like 6000 words, and I knew you wouldn't stand that. Lol. Well, please review!! ;)

**_Ibeyla :P_**


End file.
